The present invention is directed to a portable alarm system and, in particular, to an alarm system that interfaces with an individual""s personal radio and remote speaker/microphone.
A typical alarm system includes a sensor and an alarm indicator. The sensor operates to detect an event and produce a signal that is representative of the event having occurred. The alarm indicator receives the signal and, in response, causes an alarm to be produced that informs someone or something that the event has occurred. For example, one type of alarm system employs a sensor to detect the breaking of a glass window and to produce an electrical signal indicative of the breaking of the glass window. An alarm indicator processes the electrical signal in any number of ways. For instance, the electrical signal can be used to cause an audible alarm to sound, to telephone a police or security service and provide the relevant information, or to provide a visual indication on a computer/video monitor.
In one type of alarm system, the sensor operates to detect an event and if the event is detected, transmit a radio signal indicative of the event having occurred. A receiver that is tuned to the frequency of the signal produced by the transmitter operates to receive and process the signal to produced the desired alarm.
The present invention is directed to a personal, portable alarm system that interfaces with an individual""s portable radio and at least a remote speaker, which is typically connected to the portable radio and takes the form of a headset or lapel/epaulet attachment, to provide the individual with an audible indication that a radio signal has been received from a remote sensor indicating that an event, such as motion, has been detected at the location of the sensor. Among the applications for the system are military applications that involve the establishment of defensive perimeters. The system is also useful in SWAT team applications where rooms in buildings are xe2x80x9cclearedxe2x80x9d by SWAT team members and there is a need to monitor the xe2x80x9cclearedxe2x80x9d rooms to determine if someone thereafter enters the rooms.
In many situations, individuals carry a portable radio that has a speaker interface that allows a remote speaker (i.e., a speaker that is spaced from the radio or not integrated into the radio housing) to be connected to the speaker channel of the radio. For example, many police and military forces employ a radio that includes a speaker jack receptacle for connecting the radio to a remote speaker device. The remote speaker device includes a speaker that is either in a headset that is positioned adjacent the individual""s ear or attached to a piece of clothing that is adjacent the individual""s ear. In addition, the remote speaker device includes a speaker jack that is adapted to mate with the speaker jack receptacle of the radio to connect the remote speaker device and the radio. When the remote speaker device and radio are connected to one another, via the speaker jack and speaker jack receptacle, the individual can hear communications that have been received by the radio in the remote speaker. In many cases, the remote speaker device is used in conjunction with a remote microphone that is positioned adjacent an individual""s mouth and operates to convert the individual""s oral communications into electrical signals for processing into a radio transmission.
The present invention is directed to a personal, portable alarm system that comprises a first interface for connecting to the speaker channel of a personal, portable radio, and a second interface for connecting to a remote speaker. Consequently, the system is positioned between the radio and the remote speaker. A speaker channel connects the first interface with the second interface. As such, when the system is connected to the radio and to the remote speaker, the individual is able to hear communications that have been received by their radio. The system further includes an alarm processing device that receives a sensor radio signal from a remotely located sensor that indicates that an event, such as motion, has been detected at the location of the sensor. It should be appreciated that the sensor radio signal is sufficiently different from the radio signals that the individual""s personal, portable radio is designed to process so as not to interfere with the operation of the radio. The alarm processing device, in response to the sensor radio signal, produces an alarm signal that is interjected into the speaker channel for transmission to the remote speaker and informs the individual that a signal has been received from the remote sensor.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a personal, portable alarm system that includes a first interface for connecting to the speaker and microphone channels of an individual""s portable radio, and a second interface for connecting to the individual""s remote speaker-microphone. A communication channel connects the first and second interfaces. As such, when the system is connected to an individual""s personal, portable radio and the remote speaker-microphone, the individual is able to hear communications that have been received by the radio and to have their oral communications conveyed to the radio for transmission. An alarm processing device operates to receive a sensor radio signal from a remotely located sensor, process the signal, and produce an alarm signal that is interjected into the communication channel for transmission to the remote speaker and informs the individual that a signal has been received from the remote sensor.
A further embodiment of the invention employs a processing device that not only interjects the alarm signal into the communication channel for transmission to the individual""s remote speaker but also interjects the alarm signal into the communication channel for transmission to the microphone channel of the individual""s personal, portable radio. Consequently, the alarm signal is not only heard by the individual with the system attached to their personal, portable radio but is also broadcast for others to hear. This allows the system to be attached to one individual""s portable radio rather than having a system attached to the portable radios of all the individuals in a group that may need or want to be informed that a remote sensor had detected an event, such as motion.
Yet another embodiment of the invention includes a sensing device for detecting whether or not the speaker or communication channel is being utilized to convey a signal received by the individual""s personal, portable radio or to convey a signal produced by the individual utilizing their remote microphone. Stated differently, the sensing device detects whether the radio and remote speaker or microphone are being utilized for communication with other radios. If the radio is being used to communicate, the sensing device produces a xe2x80x9choldxe2x80x9d signal that is used by the processing device to hold any alarm signals that have not yet been interjected into the speaker or communication channel and any alarm signals that are received while the radio communication is occurring until the channel is clear, i.e., not otherwise being used to communicate over the radio.
In another embodiment, the xe2x80x9choldxe2x80x9d signal serves as an interrupt signal to which the processing device responds by terminating any ongoing interjection of an alarm signal or signals into the speaker or communication channel. In addition, the processing device causes the alarm signals to be saved for later interjection into the speaker or communication channel.
Yet another embodiment of the invention allows the individual to define the content of the alarm signals. In one embodiment, the system is put in a mode that allows the individual to use a microphone associated with the individual""s portable radio to enter a voice recording that is correlated to the remote sensor. Consequently, when the sensor radio signal is received by the system, the processing device causes the voice recording to be interjected into the speaker or communication channel. For example, the voice recording might be xe2x80x9cmotion at doorway #3xe2x80x9d or simply xe2x80x9cdoorway #3xe2x80x9d. If several sensors are to be employed, the system is able to accommodate several such pre-recorded alarm messages.
In another embodiment, the processing device is capable of processing signals from several different sensors and interjecting a signal that is related to each sensor into the speaker or communication channel. To elaborate, in many applications, it is desirable to utilize a plurality of sensors, each at a different location. In this situation, the sensors each transmit a distinguishable or individualized signal. The processing device is capable of distinguishing these individualized signals from one another and then causing a signal to be interjected into the speaker or communication channel that identifies which one of the plurality of remote sensors has detected an event, such as motion.
Yet other embodiments of the system include remote sensors. One such remote sensor is a portable xe2x80x9ctrip wirexe2x80x9d sensor that transmits a radio signal when someone or something passes between two, separated points that are connected by a xe2x80x9ctrip wirexe2x80x9d. In one embodiment, a portable, electromagnetic trip wire sensor is utilized that produces a radio signal when an electromagnetic beam, typically invisible, extending between an emitter and detector is broken by the passage of a person or object. Another portable remote sensor is a portable motion sensor that transmits a radio signal when motion is detected within a particular area.